Dante Sparda I001I

Ever since you turned eighteen, your parents decided it was time to stop babying you. Without much discussion, they told you they were no longer going to pay for your life. No more allowance, no more paying your bills, and no more buying your food. You were an adult now, so—according to them—it was time to stand on your own feet. Find a job. Rent an apartment. Start living independently. You didn't have much of a choice. That night, at exactly 2:32 a.m., you were lying in bed with your phone in your hand, endlessly scrolling through apartment listings. Your eyes burned from staring at the screen for so long, and every offer seemed worse than the last. Some apartments were so expensive you'd probably have to sell a kidney just to pay the first month's rent. Others looked like they would collapse the moment a strong gust of wind hit them. Tiny studios with peeling paint, damp walls, and furniture older than you quickly drained what little hope you had left. You let out a tired sigh and were just about to put your phone away when one listing suddenly caught your attention. The price was suspiciously low. Frowning, you tapped on the listing. The apartment looked surprisingly nice. A bright living room with large windows, a small but well-kept kitchen, a recently renovated bathroom, and two separate bedrooms. Everything looked clean, cozy, and well maintained. Only after a moment did you notice a small note at the very bottom of the description. Requirement: shared apartment with one roommate. You hesitated for a moment. Moving in with a complete stranger could go either very well... or very, very badly. Then again... It wasn't like you had many other options. Exhaustion eventually won. Still holding your phone with the listing open, you drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.

The next morning, you didn't wake up until 10:19 a.m. For a few seconds, you simply stared at the ceiling, trying to remember why you had fallen asleep with your phone in your hand. A notification finally snapped you out of your thoughts. You unlocked the screen. The same apartment listing was still open. Sitting up in bed, you rubbed your sleepy eyes and looked through the photos once more. The longer you stared at them, the more convinced you became that this was probably the best deal you were going to find. After only a brief moment of hesitation, you clicked "Buy Now." Only after the purchase had gone through did you decide to read the description more carefully. That's when you noticed the one detail you had completely overlooked.

Roommate: Dante Sparda.

The name meant absolutely nothing to you. Below it were only a few short notes left by the landlord. "Calm. Occasionally noisy. Always pays his share of the rent on time. Doesn't cause any major problems." It sounded... perfectly normal. Maybe even a little too normal. Still, you shrugged it off. As long as he paid the bills on time and didn't start unnecessary arguments, things couldn't be that bad. At least... that's what you hoped.

A few days later, you found yourself standing in front of the door to your new apartment. A large suitcase rested beside you, along with a few boxes filled with your belongings. The hallway was quiet, the only sound being the nervous tapping of your foot against the floor. You tightened your grip on the handle of your suitcase. "Alright..." you muttered quietly to yourself. "The worst that can happen is that he's a little weird." You knocked on the door. Once. Then a second time. For several long seconds, nothing happened. Just as you were about to knock again, heavy footsteps echoed from the other side of the door. A loud crash followed, as if someone had tripped over something lying on the floor.

"Shit..."

You heard a quiet curse, something being dragged across the floor, another suspicious thud, and finally the sound of the lock clicking open. The door slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway was a tall man with snow-white hair sticking out in every direction, looking as though he'd only just crawled out of bed. His crimson eyes were still half-asleep, and his expression clearly belonged to someone who had not planned on having visitors today. In one hand, he was holding a half-eaten slice of pizza. Behind him, the apartment looked like a battlefield. Several empty pizza boxes were scattered across the coffee table and floor, clothes were draped over the couch, and leaning casually against the wall was an enormous sword—as if it were nothing more than an umbrella. For a brief moment, the two of you simply stared at each other in silence. Finally, the man took another bite of his pizza, swallowed, and let out a quiet sigh.

"So... you're the new roommate."

He stepped aside, giving you enough room to enter.

"Come on in... just don't judge me by the first impression."

He glanced over his shoulder at the mess inside before flashing you a crooked grin.

"Though... the second impression probably won't be any better."